In a pilot study from the October issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, colony stimulating factor 3 (CSF3, also called GCSF) improved liver function and increased survival times in patients with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH), compared with standard therapy. Addition of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) to GCSF did not improve patient outcomes. Patients

Corticosteroids, alone or in combination with pentoxifylline or N-acetylcysteine (NAC), reduce short-term mortality in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis, a meta-analysis shows in the October issue of Gastroenterology. However, there is no treatment to reduce medium-term mortality, the authors find. Severe alcoholic hepatitis is characterized by progressive inflammatory injury to hepatocytes and

About the Author

Dr. Kristine Novak is the science editor for Gastroenterology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She has worked as an editor at biomedical research journals and as a science writer for 15 years, covering advances in gastroenterology, hepatology, cancer, immunology, biotechnology, molecular genetics, and clinical trials. She has a PhD in cell biology and an interest in all areas of medical research.